During the 17th century, beggars were poorly looked upon and often oppressed in France. To that end, a portion of the police guards became known as “Beggar-Hunters,” rounding them up and putting them in prisons. The concept of an Almshouse was first conceived in 1622, but it took another 18 years in order to find a suitable tract of land and acquire it.
During their heyday, almshouses also served as workhouses for the poor - providing domestic servants, apprentices, bakers, seamstresses, etc. When the French Revolution occurred, La Vieille Charité served as an asylum for vagrants and the dispossessed. Later, it was converted into a barracks for the French Foreign Legion (until 1922). Eventually, the complex was turned into lodging facilities for those folks (up to 146 families) displaced by the reconstruction of the district behind the Bourse Mall. Unfortunately, at this time, the complex had deteriorated into unsafe conditions. By 1962, the residents were rehoused elsewhere and the buildings were closed. Six years later, monies became available to rescue the structures from total dereliction. Between 1970 and 1986, the complex was restored to its former glory.
Today, La Vieille Charité, in addition to being a museum, serves as a home for several cultural and educational resources; including the Museum of Mediterranean Archeology, the Museum of Africa and Oceania, and a school of higher education in the social sciences.